Automatic animal trap



June 3o, 1925. 1,543,884

' H. A. STILSON AUTOMATI C ANIMAL TRAP File; .April 2s, 1923 Patented June 3o, 1925; Y

tseassfi HERBERT A. srI'LsoN,

lF CHICAGO, rnrgrnors.

AUTOMATIC ANIMAL maar.

Application filed April 28, 1923. Y Serial No. 635,354.

To all whom z'mmy/ concer/Wb:

Be 1t known that I, HERBERT A. STILsoN,

lcitizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of llino1s,"have invented a certain new 4' and useful VImprov'eir'ient in Automatic `Animal Traps, of whichthe Vfollowing isa full, clear, concise,v and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying -drawings, forming a 'partof this specification.

u `"VlVIy invention relates to' automatic animal traps, and it has for its yprincipal object the provision of aA form and arrangement of parts by `vslhich'fillgllp shall be 'capable of taking care loffa 'plurality of rats or other Vanimalsin succession without the necessity`A forrefpeated manual 'setting' operations. Tothis' endy'it is the object of my invention toY provide numerous novel features 'of construction as illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing and asrherein'after 'specifically de- 1 scribed'.` That which I believe to be'new Vand "desire to cover by Letters'iPatent 4 is set fr'th' in the "nl the drawing, i

` Fig. 1 is a longitudinal 'sect'. ional view" f through improved trap;r

Fig'. v2 is end v1ew,: partlyv `in l section,

` v Fig' is an enlarged view, being partly in section, taken on line:3'`'3` of Fig. 2; and

Fi'gil4 is a horizontal sectional lviewtaken p on 'line lof Fig; 2f..

'indicated vby the same reference characters, indicates a base plate having'a frame-` :work "11 preferably in the formlof a housing of slieetlmetal risingtherefroin.' Revolubly mounted" in transverse position in `the the 'front4 edge thereof; yil" have provided a "Kish-aft `12' upon' which are mounted f two -spririg`s1.f5, the inner ends of which are `rigjidly secured to the shaft. vRevolubly mount ed uponthe Ashaft 12 betweenthespringsl 13 f vthere is an; arm14', inthe form of aber,` the outenen'ds of the springs --13 `being secured to the .bar`A14-"gin' such a mannerthat kthe springs may b'e 4utilized for;- revolving the f arms-14 abutthe'shaft. 'As 4is shown in sprin shaft 12. Revolubly mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 12 adjacent to the ratchet 16 there is a crank arm 17' provided with a spring-pressed pawl '18 whereby the shaft 12 can be rotated in counterclockwise direction in Fig. l and `clockwise in Fig. 3, the yshaft being held against rotation in theV reverse direction by a spring-pressed pawl 19 mounted upon the framework 11 in vposition to engage lthe ratchet 16. The arrangement is preferably such that when the springs are completely wound theyl are capable of giving the arm 14 a considerable number of complete revolutions in'counterclockwise 4direction in Fig. 1.

`As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the arm 14 stands in engagementwith a latch member '.pivotally mounted upon a transverselyextending .pin 20, such latch member comprising a heavy vplate 21 andan arm 22,"which, in the construction 'shown7 is `formed 'of sheet metal bent into channel form.` rlhe `heavy plate 21, which may vbe of 'jcast metal, is attached inside the channel of the arm22, Vthe parts 21 and 22gbeing riveted ytogether by three rivets the headsof which are shown in Fig. 1. Thus the two parts 21 and 22 swing together on the 4shaft 20. The latch comprises a shoulder 23 formed in the front faceof the Vplate 21 substantially op- A posite the pin 2O 'adapted in the normal vposition of the latch to hold the arm 14 against Y Vrotationunder. the influenceY of the springs Referring vto the several figures of the drawings in which correspondingfparts are 13. -As will be readily understood,` when the latch 22 is'released so as to `be permitted a rotary movement 'on `itsshaft 2O in clockwise direction 4Vin Fig. 1 the pressure of the gslv upon the shoulder 2,3 will serve to swing the plate 21 in clockwise direction in said Fig. 1 soas to permitthe end of the arm 14 to' pass. When thereafter ,the oppo- -site end ofthe arm 14lcom'esin Contact with the diagonally Vdisposed-front face of `the plate 21, the latch member-will be in turn ,rotated in the reverse direction vinto the normal positionvshown in Fig. 1 with the end ofthe arm 14 in contact with Athe shoulder 23, the end of the arm 14 thus enf 'gagedbeing, fof course, the'opposlte end 'fromthat formerly engaged.

f" For holding the `latch member releasably in operative position as shown in Fig. 1, l

have provided aitrigger 2 4 pivotally mountedupon a transversely-extendingpin 2e. In the `construction shown; the trigger 24 is have'provided abait plate 30 in the form of a yoke which' straddles the trigger,being mounted upon a transversely-extending pin 3l. As will be readilyunderstood, when the bait plate 30 is ygiven a movement longitudinally of the trigger 24, a multiplied power effect is produced tending to move the trigger downwardly `tor releasing the latch.

In front of the trigger* 24, I have provided a block 32 at a slightly higher level than the adjacent end` of thetrigger, serving. to`

increase the ditliculty which a rat or other animal would have in attempting td steal the bait from the plate without putting its weight directly `upon the trigger.

In operation, withthe pin 15 removed, and

with the springs 13 wound up, and-with the parts inV the position as shown in Fig. 1, when the trigger 24 is depressed the latch will be released soas to swing in clockwise direction in Fig. 1, permitting. theV arml 14 to rotate in counterclockwise direction in said figure.' The trigger 24 and the bait.

plate 30 are located in close proximity to the path of movement of the ends of the arni -Y 14, and the ends of the arm 14 are preferably provided with blades 33 extending in advance in the rotation of the arm 14. Itwill thus be appreciated that if arat-or Vother animal Vswings the trigger 24 downwardly in an effort to loosen the bait from the plate, l

30, oneof the blades V33 willibe brought Y around'very forciblyrinto' contact with :the

animal. The trap Vis designed to` operate with such force that the Yanimal will be thrown bodily a considerable distance from the trap.V In use, it has been found that the blades 33 ordinarily catch arat inl' the throat,

,inflicting suiiicient injury to cause the speedy Y death of the rat.

I- have found in practiced that with the springs 13 wound tight, there is a tendency l y :tor the arm 14 in contactingthe diagonallydisposedface of the latch member to throw the latch 22-by vits rebound in counterclock? wise direction in Figfl with such force and speed that thetrigger 24 is given such an impetus by the engagementof the arml22 withv theprong'27 that the latch is Ypermitted to` with the' trigger. lIn order'to overcomethis dfulty, I have provided means for slewing dished leather washer 36 adapted to fit snug-` ly within the cylinder 34. The arrangement is such that when the piston rod 35 is moved rearwardly air is permitted `to enter the cylinder and that when the piston rod is again moved forwardly the trapped air is compressed sufficiently to slowup the movement, of the latch so as to insure o rative engagement between the latch an the trigger. Y l v While `I prefer to employ the construction and arrangement asilrlustrated in the drawing, it will be understood that I do not wish to be restricted' to, theuse of the detailed form of construction except as the same may be hereinafter specifically claimed, inasmuch asit is evident that various changes might. be made in the form of the parts without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Y

What I claim as new andV desire to Secure vby United States Letters Patent is:

1f. lAnautomatic animal trap comprising a rotaryfstriker, a spring. for rotatingvthe striker, a pivotally mounted depending arm having a stop for holding the striker, a trigger for holding the arm whereby when released Vthe strikercrotateslthe stop and arm to freethe striker, anda cam carried by the arm.v engaged by the" striker as itreturns on its rotationvto gradually slow down the strikerfas it re-engages the stop and rotate the arm toben-engaged land l Vhaving a: stop Lfor` holding the striker, a

trigger for vholding the: armwhereby` when released the striker rotates the stop and `arm to free the striker, anda cam carriedbythe arm engaged by the striker `asfit `returns on its rotation tojgradually slowdown the 'striker as ,it rie-engages thestop andfrotate the arm to lbe re-.engaged and held by 4the trigger, fand a dashpotpfor the arm set to retard its rotationby theimpactofi :the striker Yso as topositively efect holding reengagementof the'arm by thetrigger.

K swing again in clockwise direction in said 3. InY an yautomatic animal` trap, a. U- shaped frame, a shaft mounted across fthe klegs of the frame,a rotary striker revolubly mounted on the: shaft intermediate the `lega ofthe frame, a trigger .released arm .for

bait member comprising a U-shaped member spanning the extension on the trigger lever and pivotally mounted below the extension, and a spring pressingl the extension against the yoke of the bait member, whereby rocking of the bait member will depress the extension to operate the trigger.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of March A. D., 1923.

HERBERT A. STILSON, 

